‘Minecraft’ developer Mojang to release second game, ‘Scrolls’

By Andrew Couts March 2, 2011

Following the success of its smash-hit Minecraft, Swedish game developer Mojang is reportedly planning to release a second game, Scrolls.

Revealed to Gamasutra prior to the start of the 2011 Game Developers Conference (GDC), which is taking place this week, Scrolls will be “a collectible card game with board game elements,” similar in nature to “Magic: The Gathering.”

With a playing area that resembles a chess board, Scrolls will require players to build decks of ‘scrolls’ that they can use to cast spells and “summon units” in an attempt to thwart the progress of other players. The types of cards available to players will change “constantly,” says Gamasutra, and players must adjust their decks to compensate for the different cards.

The goal is to reduce opponents’ health to zero. To do this, players must break through the defenses of their opponents, and attack the opposing “king.”

While the game will have a single-player option, which gives players the opportunity to build-out their decks of cards, Scrolls really shines in the online multiplayer arena. There, Mojang hopes to hold massive world-wide Scrolls championships, complete with sponsors.

Both friendly and ranked one-on-one games will be available. And the game will also include a digital auction house, where users can buy and sell cards between each other.

According to the lead designer of Scrolls, Jakob Porser, Scrolls has been in the works for the past five years, with the help of Minecraft creator Markus Persson.

“We are both great fans of the CCG genre,” Porser told Gamasutra, “but we felt that there were some common gameplay flaws in the available titles. We’re excited to finally put all our thoughts into action with the realization of Scrolls.”

Mojang is planning to release an open beta version of Scrolls, which will be free. No release date has yet been announced.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Game Developers Conference (GDC)

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…

Gaming

Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct: how to watch and what to expect

Redfall Cover

Microsoft has confirmed rumors that it will be holding a game showcase later this month. Called a Developer_Direct, this livestream will take place later today and feature updates on Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda games launching over the next few months, like Redfall. Xbox doesn't typically do that many games showcases outside of events like E3, so this Developer_Direct seems like Microsoft's own take on the Nintendo Direct or State of Play formula.
That said, it's being a bit more transparent that it will be a bit slower-paced than Nintendo or PlayStation's shows typically are. For those planning to watch the show live today, this is how to watch Xbox's Developer_Direct Showcase as well as what you can expect from games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and The Elder Scrolls Online at the event.
When is Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct?
Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's first-ever Developer_Direct will air live and for free later today, January 25, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

How to watch Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct
The Developer_Direct showcase will be officially livestreamed by Bethesda and Microsoft in the following four places:

Gaming

Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct is their most important showcase ever

A screen capture from the Redfall gameplay reveal.

Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda just announced that their first-ever Developer_Direct showcase will be held January 25, giving Microsoft footing in the game showcase space outside of events like E3 and Gamescom. After a rough year for Xbox first-party studios, this Developer_Direct will finally give us another very deep look at games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends, whichwill start to form its game lineup for this year, whetting our appetites for what's to come to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass in 2023. Although the seeming lack of any brand new first-party announcement might make this Developer_Direct not feel that exciting to the average player, this is a critical showcase for Microsoft if it wants to win jaded fans back.
So far this console generation, Microsoft has been inconsistent in terms of both content and transparency about the state of its games. We've gotten a couple of exhilarating bursts of info on new upcoming exclusives at the past couple of Xbox summer showcases, and fall 2021 had a solid lineup of releases in Deathloop, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite. But these flurries of excitement are overshadowed by large droughts in terms of releases and reports that cast doubt over the state of some first-party games' development. That's why Developer_Direct will be so crucial for Microsoft. This show will allow it to refocus players on a (hopefully) more consistent release lineup and start to give fans a consistent showcase cadence to be excited for.

The content factor
Digital Trends has done plenty of writing highlighting how 2022 was a very weak year for Microsoft. The delay of Redfall and Starfield in 2022 really ruined that year, even though Pentiment and As Dusk Falls were good games. For more mainstream gaming fans, though, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's 2023 looks way more exciting. Games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Starfield have 2023 release windows, while long-announced games like Senua's Sacrifice: Hellblade II, Contraband, and Avowed seem like they've been in development long enough to not be too far off. However, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda haven't shown us how this year will be paced out in terms of releases, and players were not pleased with Microsoft's lackluster presence at The Game Awards 2022
That's the first major task of Developer_Direct. While no release dates were technically promised in its announcement, this show is a prime spot to let Xbox fans know precisely when they can get their hands on these long-awaited first-party titles. One of the most exciting parts of a Nintendo Direct is consistently seeing Nintendo's lineup for the next few months take form in real time, giving fans a bunch of neat titles to experience before the next inevitable showcase. Xbox is sorely in need of something like that, and Developer_Direct provides the perfect opportunity to do so, mainly because it seems to be focused less on the number of announcements and more on delivering info about games people are already interested in.

Gaming

How to find and use echo shards in Minecraft

End city in Minecraft.

Of all the new things that can be added to Minecraft, some of the most exciting are new enemy mobs and biomes. Enemies give players not only a new threat to contend with, as they typically have their own unique abilities, but also new drops. Biomes, meanwhile, are packed with new content, from blocks to mobs themselves. The Wild Update released with a few new biomes and mobs, plus a new mysterious item called echo shards.